Numerous designs for application to a golf club had been proposed for facilitating and improving a player's golf game. Many such designs are specific to clubs designed for use in putting, which involve relatively short and low-speed strokes with the intention of rolling the ball into the hole from a short distance away. Putters are differentiated from non-putter clubs, the designs of which are the subject of the present invention, by a club head with a very flat, low-profile, low-loft striking face, and by other features which are only allowed on putters, such as bent shafts and non-circular grips. Designs specific to putters such as that described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,374,497, 7,399,233 and 8,246,481 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0238544, are outside the scope of the present invention.
Designs for application to crowns of non-putter clubs are discussed in, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,481,715, 8,235,830, 8,414,410, 8,545,340 and 8,556,742 as well as U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. US 2007/0004525, US 2009/0215547, US 2012/0270672 and US 2013/0012331.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,545,340 teaches use of directional based graphic on golf clubs, which can become invisible/visible depending on the angle from where the graphic is viewed. FIGS. 7-9 of the '340 Patent show the graphic applied to the crown of the club head. In paragraph [0046], it is stated that the directional based graphic display may be used to determine variations in lie angle or loft angle. In paragraph [0051], it is stated that the directional based graphic could relate generally to any sort of visual illustrations and can refer to “ . . . an alignment line . . . .” However, there is no teaching regarding the specific configuration of such “an alignment line” nor that there could be a plurality of lines.
US 2009/0215547 relates to rectangular markers, which do not comprise diagonal, non-parallel and non-perpendicular lines, applied to the club head.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,481,715 teaches making the actual face angle of the golf club appear differently when the golf club is at address, by employing an alignment line located at the junction of the crown and the striking surface. This line is not applied to the crown, and is clearly not diagonal. In column 2 the patent further states that “[t]he golf head can also include a second line perpendicular to the alignment line”. Clearly, the design of the '715 Patent also does not comprise diagonal, non-parallel and non-perpendicular lines, applied to the club head.
Other designs comprise only parallel diagonal lines. Such clubs include, e.g., a commercially available club known as “2013 TaylorMade R1 Driver” sold by the Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc. and clubs described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,414,410 (see FIG. 4 of the '410 Patent).
US 2012/0270672, US 2007/0004525, US 2013/0012331 teach clubs with various markings applied to the crown of the club head, which markings include non-parallel diagonal lines. The most relevant figures are FIGS. 6b-6c of US 2007/0004525, FIGS. 11 and 12 of US 2013/0012331, and FIG. 4 of Patent US 2012/0270672. However, these designs do not contain a vertical line and/or entirely straight diagonal lines. Moreover, the lines are part of a design intended to direct a golfer's attention to a specific spot in on the striking surface so as facilitate repeated contact at the same desired location, rather than to allow the golfer to recognize and modify the alignment of clubface at each address, depending on the desired flight trajectory.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,235,830 also teaches markings applied to the crown of the club head, which include non-parallel diagonal lines. The most relevant markings are shown in FIGS. 4-9. However, these diagonals lines do not converge towards the heel end, and diverge towards the toe end. Moreover, the design of US 2010/0323806 is configured to signal the proper take-away (“visual swing indicator”), so as to facilitate backswing along the same desired path, rather than to allow the golfer to recognize and modify the alignment of clubface at each address, depending on the desired flight trajectory.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,556,742 updates the design of, and is by the same applicant/inventor as U.S. Pat. No. 8,235,830. Additional configuration of the “visual swing indicator” is shown in FIGS. 10-13. However, these lines do not appear to be entirely straight and again are part of a design configured to signal the proper take-away, so as to facilitate backswing along the same desired path, rather than to allow the golfer to recognize and modify the alignment of clubface at each address, depending on the desired flight trajectory.